26:10-19 Findings, declarations relative to used mattresses, box springs.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Bedbugs are small insects with flat bodies, antennae and small eyes; adult bedbugs are oval, wingless and rusty-red in color and are visible to the naked eye, and often hide in cracks and crevices; in homes, bedbugs are commonly found in areas where people sleep, concentrating in mattresses, box springs, and bed frames; bedbugs feed primarily on the blood of humans, usually at night when people are sleeping;

b. According to a joint statement issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, bedbugs have been common throughout United States history; although bedbug populations dropped dramatically during the mid-20th century, the United States is one of many countries now experiencing an alarming resurgence in the population of bedbugs, and public health agencies across the country have been overwhelmed by complaints about bedbugs;

c. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, in most cases, bedbugs are transported from infested areas to non-infested areas when they cling onto a person's clothing, or crawl into luggage, furniture, or bedding that is then brought into the home; if a mattress is contaminated with bedbugs, it is easy for bedbugs to spread to non-contaminated items that are within close proximity;

d. Although bedbugs are not known to transmit disease, they are considered to be an extreme nuisance to the general public and can cause a variety of negative physical and mental health concerns and economic consequences; and

e. To help curtail widespread infestation of bedbugs, it is necessary to take measures to prevent cross-contamination of bedbugs from used mattresses and box springs to other furniture or bedding.

L.2015, c.183, s.1.